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Chief of army staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Tuesday warned against internal conflicts and urged for the national unity to maintain law and order in the country.

‘At the end of the day, we must prioritise the country and the nation instead of engaging in conflicts. If you resort to mudslinging among yourselves, the independence and sovereignty of the country and the nation will be at stake. I am issuing a warning—you cannot say later that I did not caution you,’ he said at an event at Raowa Club in Dhaka, marking the National Army Martyrs Day.

He also urged all not to disrupt the trial process of 2009 Pilkhana massacre case, saying that it was entirely carried out by members of the then Bangladesh Rifles.

‘It is crucial to remember that this barbaric act was not committed by any army personnel. It was entirely carried out by members of the then Bangladesh Rifles. Full stop... there is no ‘if’ or ‘but’ here,’ he clarified. 

‘If you bring in ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ the judicial process that has been going on for 16 to 17 years, the justice served to those convicted, will be disrupted. We must be absolutely clear about this. Those who have been punished deserved it,’ he added.

Regarding the potential involvement of political leaders or external forces in the incident, the army chief said that a commission was formed to investigate the matter. ‘The commission chairman is present here. He will uncover the facts and inform you accordingly.’

‘The bottom line is that our valiant army personnel lost their lives to bullets fired by the then BDR members. Some of us are trying to create a controversy and divert this issue in different directions, but that will not be beneficial for us,’ he added.

The army chief said that his only desire is to return to the cantonment after ensuring the country’s stability. ‘I have no other ambition, my only desire is that I want to return to the cantonment after making the country and the nation stable.’

About the election, he said that he believed they were moving towards polls. ‘As many times as I talked to Dr Yunus, he completely agreed that there should be a free, fair and inclusive election, and the election should be held within December or close to that which I earlier mentioned as within 18 months.’

‘We are going through a chaotic situation, and criminals are taking advantage of it. There are some reasons behind the deterioration in the law-and-order situation. One – If we are busy fighting, it’s a suitable situation for criminals. They know it well if they do the crimes this time they will be able to easily escape. If we remain united then it will be possible to face these in a united way,’ he opined.

The army chief said that along with some controversial actions in the past, law enforcement and intelligence agencies such as the police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, and National Security Intelligence had also contributed positively.

‘The reason the country remained stable for so many years is that members of the armed forces and civilians collectively kept these institutions effective. That is why we have had a stable environment for so long,’ he said.

General Waker-Uz-Zaman said that those involved in crimes had to be held accountable. Otherwise, such incidents would recur.

‘However, we must ensure that our actions do not undermine these institutions,’ he cautioned.

‘Today, many police officers are hesitant to perform their duties because cases have been filed against them, and some are in jail. RAB, BGB, DGFI, and NSI are in a state of panic due to ongoing investigations into allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings,’ he said.